People shocked after seeing what a 39-year-old man looked like in 1964

Social media users have been left stunned after seeing what a 39-year-old man looked like in 1964.

Now, 1964 may feel like quite an age ago... well because it basically was.

It can be hard to get an understanding of what films were doing the rounds back then but one of the biggest franchises at the time was - of course - James Bond.

And in 1964 Ian Flemming’s spy (played by Sean Connery) was facing off against gold smuggler Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), in the cleverly named movie Goldfinger.

Now it can always be a brilliant time to go back and see the franchise's more humble beginnings but fans of the spy flick have recently been paying close attention to actor Richard Vernon and his character Colonel Smithers.

Not because they believe he gave an out of this world performance but rather because they have noticed how old he looked while in the role.

Shockingly, Vernon was only 39 years old when he was filming Goldfinger but many believe that he actually looked much older.

An image of Vernon in the film has started doing the rounds on social media, showing the actor with gray hair and wrinkles.

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In fact, what do Chris Hemsworth, Henry Cavill, Jonah Hill, Jesse Eisenberg and Adam Driver all have in common? Well, they're all 40 years old and look infinitely more youthful than Vernon did back in the day.

It's worth noting that times have significantly changed since then, however this hasn't stop people from sharing their thoughts.

“People aged differently back then. Probably smoked 3 packs and drank half a litre of Whiskey daily as well,” one user joked on X.

Someone else added: "That is completely absurd."

“Didn't believe it until I looked it up! These men were born 5 years apart,” another said, sharing an image of Vernon and James Bond actor Sean Connery.

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Similar posts of surprised fans have circulated on Reddit, with many users saying they thought Vernon would have been in his late 50s or early 60s.

“Well early 60s is honestly what I would have guessed. But he doesn't look 39. I guess the years weren't kind to him,” one Reddit user wrote.

“He's a good 7 years younger than Jared Leto. What the hell did people do in the 60s that made them age so fast?” commented another.

Vernon passed away on December 4, 1997, from complications from Parkinson's disease.